Game 3: Yankees 2, Diamondbacks 1
It worked.

Everyone was wondering how Roger Clemens would look after eight days off. He looked just the way Joe Torre hoped he would -- well-rested and healthy. As he almost always does, Clemens struggled a bit early in the first inning, but his command was never in question. For 27 batters, he threw 23 first-pitch strikes. He had command of the fastball up, the split down, in and out -- he was tremendous. Add Mariano Rivera as his usual overpowering self, and the Yankees received the clutch pitching performances they needed in Game 3.

There is one thing I don't understand. Sure, Clemens is tough to bunt on because he throws the ball up in the strike zone so much, but with his fragile groin, wouldn't you think the D-Backs would want to make him stretch, run and chase after a bunt? Neither the Mariners nor the Diamondbacks have bunted against Clemens in the two games he started against them.

Instead, the D-Backs inexplicably had Craig Counsell bunt against Mariano Rivera to lead off the eighth, whereupon Rivera -- who could play shortstop in the major leagues, he's such a good fielding pitcher -- applied the unassisted tag just before Counsell reached first base. Counsell put down a great bunt, he just did it against the wrong pitcher.

Brian Anderson pitched a heck of a game. The D-Backs are the best fielding team in the National League, but they simply fell apart on Anderson Tuesday night. All of the misplays added up to Anderson being removed from the game an inning early. After the first time Damian Miller missed the pop-up, Shane Spencer walked. Then Tony Womack booted a ground ball, which allowed Scott Brosius to get on base and Spencer to advance to second.

What followed was the craziest at-bat of the night, and included another dropped pop-up that (thankfully for the D-Backs) rolled foul. Even though the Yankees didn't score, the Alfonso Soriano at-bat cost Anderson 13 pitches -- which means he had pitched the equivalent of an entire extra inning. After he got through the fifth inning without incident, Anderson was forced to make another great pitch to Tino Martinez, after Miller dropped yet another ball -- this time because Mark Grace ran into him. If all those miscues hadn't take place, Anderson could have finished seven innings.

Bob Brenly was left in somewhat of a lurch. The whole reason they have Miguel Batista in the bullpen is because he's the guy they most want to use. But they had Mike Morgan come in while Batista only warmed up for an appearance he never saw. It's not that Brenly lacks confidence in his bullpen -- Morgan, Greg Swindell and Bobby Witt have been pitching since the Garfield administration -- they are true cagey veterans who aren't afraid of anybody. It just may be that Brenly didn't feel as though he had many options at that point.

The difference in Game 3 came down to -- surprise, surprise -- defense. Shane Spencer's great run-saving diving catch in the sixth and Luis Gonzalez's hesitation on Scott Brosius' RBI single in the bottom half of the same inning. Gonzalez could have caught that ball, but probably didn't want to make the mistake of letting it get by him and having two runs score. On the other hand, Spencer is probably the only Yankee outfielder who could have made his great play, because he is the best corner outfielder they have, and left field is the most difficult position to play at Yankee Stadium.

Don't hurt yourself jumping back on the Yankee bandwagon just yet -- they still have to win three games. That means they have to go 2-1 against Schilling and Randy Johnson, who will pitch three more times. The Yankees still have a long way to go.